Articles – Blog

Feb
08
2012

Facebook Haters

            Word of mouth advertising has always been one of your most important forms of advertising. In the ‘good old days’, if a customer was delighted with their experience with you, they might tell three to five of their friends.  If they were disenchanted, they might tell two or three times as many people about their unpleasant experience.
            The internet and social media have totally changed the importance of word of mouth advertising. Today, word of mouth advertising is on steroids. You can multiply old word of mouth values by 100.  Customers, who might have told three people about their positive experience with you, can now tell 300 of their social media ‘friends’ about their experience.  And if they are unhappy with you, they are two to three times more likely to complain about you online, creating 300 ‘Facebook haters’.
            Before social media, getting a handle on what was being said about you in the market was difficult. The good news is, social media discussions allow you to monitor what’s being said about you, and you can now participate in those discussions.
            Studies have revealed that if you can find and convert your unhappy customers into happy customers, they actually become more loyal, and spread more positive word of mouth about your business, than a customer who has never been unhappy with you.
            The old rules of how to capture positive word of mouth or how to diffuse negative word of mouth, are even more important in this hyperactive environment.  When you encounter a ‘Facebook hater’ you can now resolve issues you might not previously had heard of, and the entire world can see your sincere and honest attempts to correct the situation.
            When you encounter a Facebook hater, follow these steps;

1.    Resist the urge to go on the defensive.

2.    Acknowledge the complaint, and if it’s legitimate, admit your fault.

3.    Offer an explanation (not an excuse). 

4.   Prove to the ‘hater’, and to their eaves dropping friends, that you will do whatever is necessary to rectify the situation.

5.   Encourage continued discussion and engagement.

Click here for me to deliver our 12 Word of Mouth Moments of Truth for you to capture more positive word of mouth advertising, online and off, for your business.

©ENS Media Inc. 2011.  All rights reserved         

Feb
01
2012

Two Ears, One Mouth

            Advertising is merely multiplied salesmanship. An ad can deliver your message to hundreds or thousands of people more quickly and cost effectively than a sales person selling one-on-one.  Although admittedly, the best one-on-one sales people will have a much higher closing ratio than most ads can achieve.
            Study after study has revealed that the single most differentiating attribute of high performing sales professionals is their ability to listen.
            So if advertising is merely multiplied salesmanship, shouldn’t listening be a key ingredient in developing your advertising? Most sales courses today address the need for listening and empathy in furthering customer relationships.
            It is generally agreed that the ratio of listening to talking in sales, should be a minimum of one-to-one, and preferably two-to-one….listening twice as much as we talk. Sales trainers often joke, “that’s why we have two ears and one mouth”.
            Empathy is defined as; ‘the capacity to participate in the thoughts or feelings of another’.
            To create ads that relate to your customers’ feelings, ideas, needs and opinions, you need to listen to understand those feelings, needs, and thoughts. 
            In our guideline for Listening to Create Better Ads, guideline number one is ’Welcome your unhappy customers’. Bill Gates says, “‘Welcome your unhappy customers; they can be your greatest source of learning.”   Be approachable and make it easy for your unhappy customers to express their displeasure….then take action.
            When a customer is unhappy;  listen, listen, and listen. And don’t stop listening at the first stated complaint. Ask, “Is there anything else?” After listening again, ask again “Is there anything else?” Ask repeatedly until the unhappy customer finally gets to the original source of their displeasure. Generally their first complaint is only the proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back.
            Listening this intently not only gives you some insight into how to improve your business, listening and demonstrating your empathy for the situation is often enough to reduce the customer’s anger.            Click here for me to deliver our free guidelines to Listening to Build Better Ads, and Better Business.
 

 
  ©ENS Media Inc. 2011.  All rights reserved         
Jan
25
2012

Beware of Buzz

Old technology simply does not make headlines today.
            Gottlieb Daimler introduced the first known prototype in 1885 (127 years ago!) of what is known today as the modern gasoline engine. The following year, Karl Benz received the first patent (DRP No. 37435) for a gasoline engine automobile.
            Even though the gasoline engine remains the most proven and popular engine today, you won’t hear much about it in the news and your friends won’t engage you in an enthusiastic conversation about how reliable and dependable internal combustion technology is.
            New technology, like the hydrogen engines with unresolved fuel storage problems, solar powered engines with limited power and electric engines with range restrictions, create excitement, buzz and news almost daily.
            Hybrid engines appear to combine the best of both worlds, where the proven technology and power of gasoline engines is used in concert with some of the newer yet-to-be-perfected technologies.
            Media technology is no different than any other technology. It’s interesting and exciting to experiment with new technologies that can often provide new sources of sales and success.  And, it’s ‘news”.
            But there is no denying the reliability and results of proven and popular media.
            It’s the electronic age, and the hybrid strategy of using broadcast to inspire and internet to inform is proving to increase sales for marketers.
            Attempts to rely solely on new media technologies have produced some catastrophic results.
            A recent article in Advertising Age magazine stated, “The latest news involving social media pioneers isn’t good. Pepsi has fallen to third place behind Diet Coke in spite of its widely heralded switch from Super Bowl ads to a huge social charity program called Refresh Project. Burger King has grilled through a couple of Marketing Managers and fired their ad agency after it produced Facebook campaigns and viral videos that generated lots of online attention while the business witnessed six consecutive quarters of declining sales”.
            The marketing giants are quickly discovering that online likes, clicks and noise are not synonymous with sales success. Virtually all successful internet campaigns have had a radio or TV component in a ‘hybrid’ electronic media mix.
            Just as gasoline engines replaced the horse and buggy in transportation technology, electronic media; primarily broadcast and internet, are replacing the expensive production and delivery costs of printed advertising.            Click here for me to deliver our free Electronic Age Marketing Funnel to help you develop new media strategies to increase your sales.

We know that advertising cannot make a bad business a good business. Your SoundADvice business building tips are sent to you every Wednesday to help you build a better business. If you do not wish to continue receiving this free value-added service from me, click here. If you know someone else who would benefit from receiving SoundADvice, click here and tell us.  

 

 
             ©ENS Media Inc. 2012.  All rights reser
Jan
19
2012

Thank You

            Appreciation Marketing can be the highest ROI (return on investment) tool in your marketing tool box.
            How do you feel when the cashier hands you your change and simply says, there you go ”as she waves on the next customer in line? A simple culture of customer appreciation that thanks each and every customer can generate more repeat and referral business than any other strategy or tactic you might employ.
            The most successful companies actually include Appreciation Marketing in their annual marketing plan to increase their high-profit repeat and referral business.
            In our free Appreciation Marketing Tactics, tactic number one is ‘Hire right’. Look for people who genuinely appreciate serving others and have a natural polite tendency to say “thank you”.  You can train staff in product knowledge and your systems and processes, but caring and good manners should be a prerequisite for every new hire.

Click here for me to deliver all 14 Appreciation Marketing Tactics to give you low-cost tactics to dramatically increase your repeat and referral business.

P.S. A very heartfelt ‘thank you’ to you for allowing me into your day with our SoundADvice marketing tips. I sincerely hope you find them useful.

©ENS Media Inc. 2012.  All rights reserved         

Jan
12
2012

Music to Your Customer’s Ears

            You may have heard the heart-wrenching story about the road to recovery for shooting victim, Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. Gabby, as she is affectionately known, was having difficulty recalling words to speak. But almost miraculously, she could recall and sing the words to songs like Don McLean’s classic ‘American Pie’, from memory.
            Mouthing and singing songs from memory is all part of Giffords’ recovery program. Her medical staff has encouraged her to do it because they say it helps rebuild the brain.
            Music is also one of the tools in a creative marketer’s tool chest to achieve two of marketing’s most important but difficult objectives;

1.)   To touch prospects and customers at an emotional level
2.)To create messages that resonate and are memorable

            Jingles like ‘I’d Like to Buy the World a Coke’ or the Meow Mix’s cat singing, ‘Meow, Meow, Meow, Meow’, created a feeling and a lasting memory for those brands. Jay Conrad Levinson, the author of Guerrilla Marketing, says, “The right music increases commercial impact by 30%”.
            Click here for me to deliver our Jingle Strategy Checklist to help you determine if a jingle is the right creative tool to increase your sales in 2012.        

P.S. We’ve all heard the bad jingles that do more damage than good. I’ll also bring our ten Do’s and Don’ts to choosing the right jingle should your checklist determine a jingle is right for you.

©ENS Media Inc. 2012.  All rights reserved         

Jan
04
2012

Congratulations!

            You have made it through another year in an economy that’s struggling to rebound. You must be doing something right!
            And it’s not too late to plan for an even more successful 2012.
            Your competitors may be succumbing to anxiety created by the questionable future of the Euro and deadlocks created by politicians who seem to care more about politics than the economy.
            Their pessimistic plans for 2012 can create a huge opportunity for those who plan more optimistically.
            David Ogilvy, founder of the successful Manhattan advertising agency Ogilvy & Mather with 450 offices in 120 countries, said, “Don’t bunt. Aim out of the ball park “.
            Put another way, a consultant we work with says, “The problem isn’t that we aim too high and miss our goals, the problem is we aim too low and hit our goals”.
            Our consultant suggests that your goals should always be realistic, yet challenging. After all, where is the sense of satisfaction in reaching goals that are not challenging?
            In preparation for a successful 2012, we suggest you ask yourself; 

1.)   What worked and what didn’t work in 2011?

2.)   What is my goal for 2012?

3.)   Is my goal challenging, yet realistic?

4.)   Who do I need to meet or what do I need to know to ensure my goal is achievable?

5.)   What big projects will help me reach my goal?

            The most important thing about having a marketing plan to help you achieve your goals is……..having a marketing plan to achieve your goals.
            Click here for me to deliver our free Problems and Opportunities Index to help you plan and budget for a more successful 2012.

©ENS Media Inc. 2011.  All rights reserved

Nov
30
2011

Beware Of the Marketing Paradox

Your advertising has to walk the difficult tightrope of creating expectations that are high enough to attract your customers, yet low enough to allow you to provide an experience that over-delivers on those expectations.
          If your advertising creates unrealistically high expectations in your prospects’ minds, it will inevitably lead to disappointment. In fact, if your advertising sounds too good to be true…..well, you know the rest.
          You know your customers demand value today. And you may have seen the Value Equation, or how your customers define value, in previous issues of SoundADvice.
Value = your customers’ expectations + or – their actual experience.
          Many business’s slogans have become cliché or a paradox in terms. The dictionary defines a paradox as; ‘a statement or proposition that seems self-contradictory or absurd, but in reality expresses a possible truth’.
          Promoting that you’ll exceed customer expectations, for example, paradoxically leaves no room to exceed those expectations.
          The treadmill of exceeding customer expectations is a difficult one, but one that you must always be on if you are to create word of mouth or social media followers for more repeat or referral business.
          Once you have created an experience that exceeds your customers’ expectations, you have now created a new benchmark of expectations which you again have to try to exceed.
          It’s like going to a restaurant that gave you a free mint after the meal. The first time it was a nice little surprise, the second time it was expected, and the third time, they’ll have to give you two mints to exceed your expectations.

          Click here for me to deliver our free ‘11 Tips For Creating Value’ to generate more repeat and referral customers for your business.

 ©ENS Media Inc. 2011  All rights reserved         

Nov
25
2011

Your Year End Bonus!

Every year, literally millions of ‘free’ marketing dollars go unspent!
Let me explain. Virtually all of your suppliers have some sort of vendor support or co-op marketing budgets.
          As they near year end, most of them have unspent amounts remaining n those budgets.
          And those companies’ sales managers do NOT want to see those dollars go unspent because they may not be able to budget for them again next year.
          Often at this time of year your suppliers will even reallocate unspent marketing dollars from one product to another or from one market to another.
          It’s usually a case of “ask and ye shall receive”.
          Your suppliers have a vested interest in your success, and are willing to go beyond their usual co-op programs or vendor support programs as they near year end if their marketing budgets have not been spent.
          While their traditional co-op program, for example, might only pay for a percentage of your advertising, some are willing to pay for much higher percentages or even 100%  if it helps you sell their products and utilize the budgeted marketing dollars.
          Many of them receive their personal bonuses based upon annual sales, and they may need your last minute effort to make their quotas.
           In our How to Leverage Your Suppliers’ Marketing Muscle, tactic number one is ‘Tender your next ad campaign’.  Present a written proposal for marketing support from all of your suppliers outlining your proposed advertising schedule and investment, along with any special displays, promotions, demonstrations or other exposure they will receive for their investment.     

          Click here for me to deliver our FREE How to Leverage Your Suppliers’ Marketing Muscle and to discuss how we can help you uncover unspent marketing support budgets.    

©ENS Media Inc. 2011.  All rights reserved         

Nov
16
2011

Make It Easy To Buy from You

         We’re in the electronic age. An age when real people expect information at their finger tips.
          But occasionally we still hear ads that say, “See paper for details.”
Which paper? Which day’s paper? What? You want me to leave the comfort of my own home, guess which paper your ad or flyer is in, go out and buy that paper so you can sell me?
          Wouldn’t it make more sense to say, “go to my-business-name-dot-com” to drive them to the details on your website?
In the electronic age, radio inspires, internet informs. It’s that simple, and it’s what your customers expect from you today…. inspiration on the go and information at their finger tips.
          There is always the argument that ‘not everyone has internet access.’
Let’s explore that;

  • Not everyone gets the paper
  • Which paper is your advertising driving people to?
  • Which day?
  • Will you still have the advertised item(s) by the time they find ‘the paper’?
  • How much of your marketing budget goes to lumberjacks, pulp and paper mills, printing press operators, and delivery people?

Posting your information online has some added advantages;

  • Website available 24/7
  • You can delete sold out items
  • change prices on a moment’s notice
  • add new offers you didn’t have when you designed the campaign
  • no charge for production, printing etc
  • no charge for delivery
  • no charge for color
  • real people expect information at their finger tips, online

          Welcome to the electronic age. With no charge for printing and delivery means you have more budget to inspire your prospects with intrusive media.
          It’s that simple, efficient and effective. Radio inspires, internet informs!

          Click here for me to deliver the Electronic Age Marketing Funnel which helps you to develop strategies to move your prospects from unawareness of you to awareness, to preference of you, and ultimately purchase from you.

©ENS Media Inc. 2011.  All rights reserved 

Nov
02
2011

It’s a Beautiful Day!

     Some words are simply more powerful than others in winning the hearts and minds of your prospects. For example, saying, “You can buy this for only $150” is not nearly as powerful as saying, “You can own this for only $150”.
     While ‘buying’ can trigger emotions like ‘buyer beware’, owning can trigger pride of ownership.
     Click on this short 60 second ‘It’s a Beautiful Day’ video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wgi0t2ap-us to learn how choosing words that touch the heart and tell a story can be much more persuasive than simply stating facts.
     You’ll see that when the blind man wrote his own sign stating the facts of his condition, the message was not nearly as powerful as an outside observer writing his emotional story.     
     Many business owners are too close to their facts to recognize the powerful stories they can tell to win more customers.
    Click here to arrange a no-obligation appointment to explore how our team of professionals can help you uncover your selling story to strike an emotional chord with your prospects and customers.

 

©ENS Media Inc. 2011.  All rights reserved

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